Advice near my riding? Only a few, simple question?
Okay, so I've been riding for 5-6 years, these past 3 years really getting into it. Im jumping up to 2'6" (dont chortle.)
Anyway, this is a really easy question.
My trainers been relating me latley that ive become such a good rider in the past year. However, shes pointing out and keep telling me "Open your shoulders!" I open them, but eventually she'll tell me again. i want to steal a load off her shoulders so she doesnt have to be bothered by relating me to open my shoulders.
Whats a good way to hang on to my shoulders open? I try to pinch my shoulder blades together and 'stick em out' but I can never keep my posture like that.
I try to sit up straight within school and stuff but I dont want to look all retarded with my chest out. XD
Second request for information.
My trainer has also been telling me 'save your back flat throught the jump.'
When I actuallly focus on my posture, my pony will either stay away from and ill take a fall or cut a corner.
Advice for this?
And lastly, my pony have started this bad habit. I think hes trialling me, or trying to get on my nerves.
Whenever I ask for a canter, I kick with my external leg and his head turns to the outside. I kick next to my inside leg, but then he gets the wrong lead.
My trainer really get on me when he does this, and I get on him.
I carry a crop now so I can hand over him a tap when he does it.
Any advice on how I can keep his boss straight?
Thanks in advance!
1 To keep your shoulders open one item I've heard is to put the crop in between your shoulder blades so that in decree to keep it there you have to maintain your shoulders open. #2 with the jumping, when you work on your posture try to do it formerly the jump, then when you get to the hop you can focus on your pony instead of yourself. It takes a while to be able to focus on a lot at once but the more you practice it will start to become instinctive. #3 Try using your inside rein with your outside leg, if you use your inside rein purely a bit harder and just a bit before your outside leg than your pony won't be capable of turn his head. This will also help him to pick up his lead. Also, whether he just won't stop turning his head turn him in a really tight circle and use your crop on the side he is turning his boss to, and then ask for the canter again. This will make him annoyed instead of you! lol
Ok a good exercise to so you can learn to open your shoulders is to whip a dressage whip and put it between your elbows, while sitting in riding position. This will feel really over-exaggerated but whether you try it for a while then it won't feel so weird when you are riding around as a rule.
How to Ask for the canter in MANY easy steps:
1. Establish a working gait (ie a forward walk or a noisy trot)
2. Make sure you as the rider have constant wishy-washy contact with both reins evenly.
3. Ask your equine to bend slightly to the inside by applying your inside leg at the girth. Do not lenthen your reins, use them to keep your equines head and nouns straight.
4. Maintaining your contact on both reins evenly, sit deeply in the saddle and aplly outside leg at the back the girth. If the equine goes faster you are cueing for speed, not transition, and you should collect (reduce speed) and try again.
5. To stay in the canter support the equine with your inside leg at the girth and protract speed with outside leg pressure at the girth.
For cantering, i kick with both legs and heave the inside reign a little higher than my outside, it help my horse pick up that lead
sorry i didnt answer the other questions!
Answers: you don't have to stick your chest out to preserve your back straight. And keeping your back straight is not the same as slit your shoulders.
By opening your shoulders, you're basically just relaxing them and not slumping them over. Just don't suggest about it and try to relax yourback as much as possible. This is the main way to hang on to your posture good...
And i think that you're arching your back too much, approaching a U instead of a flat line. I do that all the time too xD
My riding instructor tells me to relax your posterior muscles and don't two point too much. Since you aren't jumping that large, you really don't have to 2-point much, so a short time ago bend forward a little bit instead of pushing your chest towards the horses back.
And... don't worry as much almost your posture, focus on keeping to horse on track.
And finally. It's really about keeping rein pressure constant... Instead of just letting your reins sit in attendance, "massage" your inside reins so you get the flex in your horses neck. He's newly resisting leg pressure, which is normal for many horses. You might want to try just inside leg pressure at first, to push your horse to the guardrail, then massage your inside rein. Then you can cue for a canter, and if he/she doesn't pick it up now, tap him with a crop.
Hopefully all of this help.
Good luck
There's nought wrong with 2'6! it's fun. as for the open shoulders, just practice. Your two-point should be relaxed contained by your legs and soft with your hands. Just stick your chest to put it bluntly. For your back, push the small of your support out (while on the ground) and your hips forward. You'll notice that your back is flat? lol. I learned that within dance class actually. It's indistinguishable in marching band too, elevated ribs.
as for the refusal, when you focus on your your two-point, be sure you're relaxing too.
and for the canter, when you ask, inside leg on the girth, outside leg back and squeeze. It save confusion of the pony because outside leg also means turn. He's just confused, no inevitability to smack him.
For your first question, you just have need of to keep practicing opening your shoulders.
On your second query, I suspect that when you start really focusing on your posture, that you take your legs off. Don't forget that you still need your legs. (I enjoy this problem too. When I try to sit the trot on my big warmblood, I concentrate so hard on sitting that I forget to use my legs and I become a much less effective rider.)
On your third cross-question, I suspect that you are using your outside leg too far forward. If you use it at the girth, your pony will take that as a cue to bend left. You inevitability to bring your outside leg back and use it about a hand's distance or two behind the girth. Use your inside leg at the girth and cock your shoulders a little to the inside to keep him bent surrounded by the direction that you are traveling. Don't overdo the bend, though, as that will actually make it harder for him to pick up the correct organize.
For your first question, you freshly need to keep practicing opening your shoulders.
On your moment question, I suspect that when you start really focusing on your posture, that you take your legs off. Don't forget that you still involve your legs. (I have this problem too. When I try to sit the trot on my big warmblood, I concentrate so hard on sitting that I forget to use my legs and I become a much less influential rider.)
On your third question, I suspect that you are using your outside leg too far forward. If you use it at the girth, your pony will take that as a cue to bend vanished. You need to bring your outside leg back and use it in the region of a hand's width or two behind the girth. Use your inside leg at the girth and cock your shoulders a little to the inside to hold him bent in the direction that you are traveling. Don't overdo the bend, though, as that will actually make it harder for him to pick up the right lead.
I recommend you pick up the book Centered Riding by Sally Swift. She does a great job of helping you mentally picture what you call for to do to achieve a balanced seat, and it's amazing how everything else can stumble into place once you get there.
Your pony will say " Huh, so THATS what you expected! Why didn't you say so in the first place? "
She also has exercises that you can do on the ground that will assist you understand how you need to sit/move/balance in the saddle.
For your shoulder issue, I used to get told the same thing too...
I be discussing this with a dressage rider friend of mine and she told me to just to take your stomach button slightly point it to your pommel. Just take a moment, sit in a chair and point your stomach button up - just very very slightly though because you don't want your form to move. Watch what happens, as your belly button goes slightly up, your shoulders will begin up.
Or another thing that works for me as well, is I just cart my shoulders and give them a real good roll support.
Hopefully this helps!
My trainer always says that there are agressive riders that dearth good posture and there are ppretty riders that cannot order their horses.
Riding is adjectives about finding balance and you will simply need to practice keeping your posture and getting that horse to shift!!
You should just step out to ride and make your main goal for the time to not close ur shoulders. Also when ur sitting at home. u can try sitting like that. i understand the university things haha. but for the jumping thing, u need to focus on getting over ther hop without falling off. the easy approach to keep ur back flat is to practice at the trot canter or even walk when u arent jump. this way u cant fall off. whether u practice it enough ull get into the habit and it will be similar to normal and ur horse wont refuse. Also witht he canter thing..thats for a moment weird...i dont know why he would do that. u may want to put him on the lunge line for a little bit. Then u should try and find up on him. Just be persistent. if he gets on the wrong head then u can bring him back to walk and maintain doing that til he listens and gets on the right lead. It probly wouldnt hurt to consent to ur trainer on him and see what she/he can do.
To me, it kinda sounds like ur horse may be just a smidge advanced for u and he knows it so hes taking pre-eminence of you. yu just need to be persistent and show him whose boss. obedient luck. hope i helped!!
